Opinions of Friday, 6 July 2018

Columnist: 3news.com

A strong case for John Boadu to be endorsed as the next NPP General Secretary

John Boadu, Acting General Secretary of NPP John Boadu, Acting General Secretary of NPP

That moment when almost all hopes were lost for the NPP; when the party was facing its worst internal crisis in history; when the party had no option but to suspend its National Chairman, when the party had no option but to suspend its 2nd Vice Chairman; when the party had no option but to suspend its General Secretary; when one of its Regional Chairmen was murdered; when the NPP only made negative headlines; when the NPP did not have the financial wherewithal to mount giant billboards and engage in vote buying maneuverings which had characterized the NDC 2016 electioneering campaign; when the then governing NDC was so resourceful and abusing incumbency left right and centre at the expense of all other political parties; when the NPP was justifiably perceived to be losing it all, the burden of delivering a seemingly impossible electoral victory for the “disintegrated and crisis-ridden NPP”, was essentially put on the shoulders of the party’s National Organizer.

He had the onerous responsibility of organizing the rank and file of the party across all levels for an all-important electoral victory in 2016.

Aside his burdensome position as the party’s National Organizer, he has added another humongous responsibility of heading the party’s National Secretariat as the Acting General Secretary. This additional burden was put on him by the party’s National Executive Committee after various interventions by the National Council of Elders.

As if that was not enough, he was again given a third and guess what..?..the position of almighty Director of Operations for the entire 2016 campaign of the party. Maybe I should add another one. This same man was an active member of the party’s National Communications Team despite his unenviable tight schedules. He virtually commandeered the party’s campaign communications.

Come on! You dare not tell me that you love the NPP more than him. He did all of that at the expense of his private comfort; at the expense of his business enterprises as well as his family commitments, among other crucial engagements of his. He worked so tirelessly for the NPP culminating in the party’s unprecedented electoral triumph in the General Elections.

Since they say, charity begins at home, let’s now look at how much he was able to deliver his home region to the NPP, which is the Central Region. Mind you, the Central Region also happens to be the home region of the then Vice President and NDC Running Mate, H. E. Amissah Authur, now, of blessed memory. Ordinarily, you would expect people to choose the position of Vice President over National Organizer or acting General Secretary BUT that was not meant to be in this case owing to the illustrious works of the latter.

He ensured that the people of central region (Amissah Authur’s home region) gave the NPP an overwhelming endorsement in the 2016 elections moving the number of parliamentary seats the party held at the time from 7 to 19, which translates into a remarkable 160% increment. Absolutely incredible! You just can’t perform better than this.

In fact, this was the main consideration of the NPP’s National Council in agreeing to hold the party’s first National Annual Delegates Conference in the Central Region after its historic 2016 electoral victory.

You would think that in view of the legendary contribution of this man to the party’s victory in his home region and across the country, he would be one of the persons occupying an enviable position in the Akufo-Addo led NPP government.

But surprisingly, he says, he still wants to continue serving the party at the Headquarters rather than be in government. Clearly, he loves the party more than himself and would sacrifice everything and anything in the interest of the party. This is what we call party loyalty.

Today, this man, whose party industry and commitment I dare say, is unmatched by all standards, is not contesting for the position of flagbearer of the party. He is not lobbying for the position of Running Mate.

He is not even contesting for the position of National Chairman of the party, which you would agree with me that he is more than qualified to occupy. All he is asking for, is to be CONFIRMED as the party’s next General Secretary, having served in that capacity for more than a year and delivered with distinction.

He is humbly availing himself for you and me (members of the party) to consider him worthy of continuing what he has started well. He has delivered victory to our party and wants to continue doing same. This is certainly the least he can ask for, from the party he has essentially ‘killed himself’ for. I also need to make the point that he is undoubtedly, one of the MOST EXPERIENCED SERVING NATIONAL OFFICER of our great party.

He is the ONLY officer in the history of the NPP who has occupied not less than ten (10) executive positions in the party across all levels. i.e. from the Polling Station, to Constituency, to Regional and to the National level.

He has served as Polling Station Chairman, Constituency Secretary, Research and Information Director (Greater Accra Region), National Finance Officer, National Youth Treasurer, National Youth Organizer, Deputy National Communications Director, National Organizer and General Secretary (Ag) among others. What more can one achieve, brethren and sisteren? I guess, apart from the position of National Women Organizer and National Chairman, this man has occupied almost every other position in the party at the National level.

No man; I repeat, no man in the history of the NPP has this enviable political record. No one in the NPP has served the party at the National level more than this man. And seeing that the NPP is a party that rewards loyalty, competency, hard work and commitment when it comes to the election of party executives, it is fair to conclude that this man is arguably, the most qualified person to occupy any position in the party as we speak.

This man, whose virtues, I have succinctly espoused, is not a super human. He is not a prophet nor an angel. He is a normal person like you and me. He is one of the finest politicians of our generation. He is currently the National Organizer and acting General Secretary of the governing NPP. His name is JOHN BOADU. And Insha Allah, he would soon be elected as the substantive General Secretary of the party.

In the past year and more that he has acted as the NPP’s General Secretary, the party has seen and continues to see remarkable fortunes due to his hard work. His conduct, both in words and in deeds, has brought GOOD NAME to the party. He speaks when he has to speak NOT when he wants to speak. He speaks with so much circumspection and has never spoken nor acted in a way that brings the party’s name into disrepute.

Aside all these, John Boadu, in campaigning for the General Secretary position, visited and interacted with party executives in all the 275 constituencies in the country to also afford him an opportunity to assess the current state of the party in every constituency particularly the state of party offices and party-government relationship. His campaign is hinged on the theme, “Strengthening And Empowering The Party’s Grassroots For Victory 2020 And Beyond”.

When he realized that permanent regional and constituency offices were non-existent, John Boadu, on his own, provided significant assistance, financial and otherwise, to help in the construction permanent party offices in some constituencies that have none while pledging that by the end of his 4-year term of office, all the constituencies and regions will have permanent party offices with proper furnishing and IT infrastructure befitting of the stature of the party. What more can one do to serve his party!

It is against this backdrop that I FULLY ENDORSE the candidature of the indefatigable JOHN BOADU, the only authentic general in Ghana’s politics, as the next GENERAL SECRETARY of the NPP and I humbly invite you to do same for the love of God, country and the NPP.

From all indications, you would see clearly that, in JOHN BOADU, the NPP does not only have a competent General Secretary, but also a Communications Director, a National Finance Officer, an Operations Director, a National Youth Organizer and a National Organizer. A political party cannot be luckier than this. Finito!

Assalamu alaikum